Contributor - Middle East

Peter Shaw-Smith

Planners at Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) are moving ahead with a new business aviation strategy launched at the Future Aviation Forum in May. However, calls for decreasing jet size to spur a dramatic increase in particularly domestic charter availability continue to reverberate around the expansive country.
Over the past six months, regional and international expressions of interest have been coming in and, in some cases, agreements have already been signed. Most immediately, there will be substantial investment opportunities for infrastructure funds, airport operators, aircraft operators, FBOs, and MROs, according to GACA’s blueprint.
GACA general manager for general aviation Imtiyaz Manzary said some companies had already signed deals to set up facilities or services, while others were awaiting certain milestones before making announcements or have plans still under discussion with the authorities. He declined to give details of specific agreements.
“All interested foreign companies are reaching out to us at GACA and we are then directing them to the locations in which they are interested,” he told AIN.
Yosef Hafiz, commercial v-p of sales and marketing at Riyadh-based NasJet Private Aviation, said he expected an increase in new private aircraft owners next year. Doing business in-kingdom on an operator certificate (GACA Part 125) had become easier with regard to permits and authorizations for flight approvals for pilots, he said.
He added that a new requirement had been introduced for predictive windshear on private aircraft operating commercially under a Saudi air operator certificate (GACA Part 121).
“We're already working with a few individuals who are looking to purchase aircraft at a very early stage and involving us. That allows them to understand the rules and regulations around buying an aircraft,” Hafiz noted. “We're working with many new owners to buy business jets where we would operate them. The shift is not to larger but to smaller aircraft. We're still seeing that trend as we did before—smaller business jets.”
At the 2022 MEBAA show, Fahad Aljarboa, CEO of Saudia Private Aviation,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2022-12-08/spa-saudi-arabia-suffering-dearth-charter-aircraft">told AIN</a>&nbsp;that a dearth of aircraft in the Saudi market meant that 94% of charter requests to the company went unsatisfied, with frequent recourse to international operators raising the specter of the grey charter market. This situation has not dramatically improved in the intervening two years.
GACA’s May plan calls for general and business aviation terminals at nine major airports, as well as six general aviation-only airports that have mostly yet to be constructed.
The general aviation-only airfields will be in the Saudi capital Riyadh, as well as trading hubs Jeddah and Jubail, major shipping and oil and gas hubs. In addition to being the country’s main trading hub, Jeddah also affords access to pilgrimage at Makkah, where the existing executive airport will be upgraded. Meanwhile, Neom and Amaala will focus on resort tourism.
“These are dedicated general aviation airports; it’s about time for these types of airports because taxi times at existing airports are horrendous,” said Hafiz. “Business jets have to get in line with everybody else; general aviation airports will allow the traffic to flow in and out without having to get in line with commercial traffic. It's a positive move forward.”
In Riyadh, it’s likely that the new King Salman International Airport will mean a completely new business aviation terminal. “They're focused on having a new location, possibly having a dedicated runway for the general aviation terminal at [the airport],” said Hafiz. “It will be a clean sheet; they'll move it from its current location, as they've done in the past with Jeddah. They've moved the FBOs from their old locations around 10 or 12 years ago to new ones at the [Jeddah] North terminal. The existing [Riyadh] facility could be demolished.”
The roadmap recognizes the lack of aircraft accommodation available at Saudi airports. It will also ensure “dedicated parking hangarage capacity in key general aviation locations, which will improve attractiveness for business jet owners as well as the availability and quality of services.”
Still, Saudi operators are resigned to the rollout of such huge new plans taking time. In the intervening transition period, GACA is mulling a switch from U.S. FAA regulations to European Union Aviation Safety Agency rules, according to Mohammed Al Bokhari, CEO of Jeddah-based Aviation Horizons.
“We have 22 airports in Saudi Arabia and the average flying hours between each city are an hour and a half,” Bokhari told AIN. “We really need regional aircraft, and we don't have enough at all. We are trying to bring in a couple of aircraft to accommodate that market demand.”
“To be honest with you, the [entire] project is too big, and it will take time for it to be very well developed. We just have to be patient,” he concluded.

New developments at airports including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

Saudi Arabia Moves on Development of a New General Aviation Blueprint

Plan calls for six new general aviation airports

The general and business aviation industry in Saudi Arabia is calling for smaller aircraft to improve ease of access to domestic charter aircraft.

Saudi Arabia Moves on New General Aviation Blueprint

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

News and issues concerning the aviation charter and fractional-ownership industries and markets, including company announcements, regulations, new developments and labor issues.

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Local company ASM is discussing new aircraft management opportunities

Low-cost Carrier Migration Could Ease Bizav Access in Dubai

Hanneke Weitering

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

Flight demonstrations will be held next year in Portugal's capital city

Helibravo Plans UAM Demo Flights at Lisbon Vertiport 

Charles Alcock

Issues regarding financing of aircraft; aviation insurance; tax issues for aircraft operators; new companies and people in the aviation financing and insurance industries.

Late Thanksgiving drives higher departure numbers than same week in 2023

U.S. Leads Global Business Jet Activity Growth

News about simulators and training procedures, as well as workforce.

Vertiport Simulations adds electric charging cubes and other detailed scenery to flight simulator software

Gaming Simulators Could Support eVTOL Pilot Training and Vertiport Design

Curt Epstein

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

New Nuuk International has been under construction since 2019

Greenland's Capital City Gets Newly Upgraded Airport

Dallas-area airport is responsible for hundreds of millions in economic impact

Texas Airport Provides Economic Boost to Local Community

Palm Beach closure will accommodate work being done in the runway's surrounding area

KPBI To Shut Down Runway for Three Months

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

MEBAA 2024

More In Airports